


Blame It On Seven (ON HIATUS)

by BadWolfRose (BadWolf1988)



Series: The Salem Sisters [4]
Category: Dog The Bounty Hunter
Genre: F/M, Family, Politics, Romance, Suspense
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-05 15:20:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 25
Words: 22,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3125030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolf1988/pseuds/BadWolfRose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ireland's best friend Seven signed her up for online dating behind her back she didn't think anything would come of it. That is until she meets someone who is just as reluctantly famous as she is. But can he handle dating the daughter of a Presidential candidate?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

Disclaimer: I am in no way connected to Leland Chapman. Don't know him, never met him. This story is just for fun.

Rated: R but may go up in later chapters.

Paring: Leland Chapman/OFC

A/N: After all the drama that went down with the Chapman family in the last few years I kind of became disillusioned with writing Leland fanfiction. I've decided to go back in time to when we thought they were a close knit family and Duane Lee was everyone's favorite goofy older brother. Everyone in as much denial as I am? Alright, good, let's begin.

A/N #2: The lead female character in this story Ireland is from the same boarding school as the female leads in the rest of my in-progress stories. All of my stories will crossover into each other but you don't have to read all of them for this story to make sense. I just put this connection in as a writing challenge to myself. The other stories are fanfics from the following fandoms: NCIS, Shemar Moore, Justin Timberlake, Criminal Minds, General Hospital, and Smallville. Almost all of them are posted around this site. The rest you can message me for a link if you want to read them.

\----------------------------------------

Ireland tried to quietly tip toe into the small ranch-style house that she shared with her best friend and business partner. It was a little after ten and she was returning from yet another blind date that had turned into a disaster. Her date had arrived half an hour late, called her by his ex's name not once, but twice, did nothing but talk about himself all through dinner, and to add insult to injury the little weasel had skipped out on the check. Just as she stepped foot in the living room, the lamp on the table next to the couch clicked on.

"So, how did it go?" It was her best friend Seven. She was dressed in pink footie pajamas with her orange hair(yes, orange hair...at least this week.) in pigtails and her Samsung Tablet on her lap.

Ireland groaned and plopped down next to her on the couch. "I'm firing Alice in the morning."

Seven laughed, "She's our best employee. Did you know that she sold a signed first edition of Dracula to old man Leroy? I'm not even sure that he knows how to read."

Ireland and Seven lived in Kona, Hawaii and were the proud owners of The Quill Bookstore. On top of current bestsellers they were the only bookseller on the islands who sold rare, hard to find editions.

Ireland rolled her eyes. "We could sell just as any books as her if we really wanted to. We would just need to invest in a few short skirts and push-up bras. That woman set me up with an unemployed lawyer who skipped out on the check. I no longer her judgment."

"Now I am so glad that I did this." Seven replied as she pulled up a website on her tablet and handed to Ireland.

Ireland's jaw dropped. "You made me a profile on plentyoffish.com?" Ireland hissed. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"Because you my dear need a man and blind dates aren't working." Seven replied. "Lord knows you're too anti-social for the bar scene. You left me no choice in the matter."

Ireland shook her head. "Why do you care so much?"

"Because," Seven sat up a bit straighter. "Rick's coming home in a few weeks and I'm moving in with him. What are you going to so then?"

Rick was Seven's finance. He was a Marine who had been deployed for the past six months.

"Have some peace and quiet?" Ireland responded with a smirk.

"You're not getting any younger you know." Seven admonished.

"I'm only twenty-seven!" Ireland argued. 

"My mom had four children by the time she was your age." Seven told her.

"Your parents are hippy potheads who didn't believe in birth control and named their only daughter after a number." Ireland pointed out. Seven had nine brothers, each with a name just as odd as their sister's. Judas(He preferred to be called Jude), Canon, Bear, Cross, Storm, Rain, Blue, Red, and Cloud. It had taken Ireland over five years to remember them all.

"They wanted me to be lucky!" Was Seven's defense. "And do you really want to go there? Your parents named you after the place they conceived you. And what's the name of that little rainy town you were born in?"

Ireland glared at her friend. "We don't speak it's name."

The truth was that Ireland had had a very happy childhood. She had been conceived during her parents Irish honeymoon in their ancestors homeland. She was the only child of John and Bridgette Kinnly. She was doted on by her politician father and high society mother. She had been raised in the rainy town of Forks, Washington. Yes, the town from that book and about those creatures. Her father had become a senator when she was twelve and the family had moved to Seattle. That is where she told people she was from. She had been sent to Salem Boarding School, her mother's Alma mater, when she was thirteen. She stayed at Salem, an all-girls boarding school and college in Winston Salem, North Carolina for the rest of her education. She left at the age of twenty-two with degrees in business and English Literature. Moving back home to Seattle she met Seven Wright and Rick King at one of the many dinner parties her mother threw. Seven was the daughter of Kevin and Melinda Wright, the founders of a multi-million dollar health food company. Rick was the heir of a billion dollar shipping fortune who went against his parents wishes and joined the Marine Corps when he graduated high school. For it Ireland it was refreshing to meet people her own age and from the same social background as her who didn't care about the Social Register. People who were like her. Seven and Rick were already dating and Rick was stationed at USMC Beaufort in South Carolina. They saw each other only a few times a year. Seven had graduated from Harvard with degrees in history and English Literature and had no clue what to do with them. One rainy(as per usual) night the two of them were drinking wine, watching The Breakfast Club(for the millionth time), and dreaming of living somewhere warmer and dryer when the idea for The Quill came to Ireland. Ireland would handle the business aspects and maintain the current and best seller catalog of inventory. Seven, by far the more creative of the two, would handle all publicity and maintain the rare and antique catalog of inventory of books. They both would work in the store. All they needed was a good location. After a good deal of research they settled on Kona, Hawaii. There was only three other bookstores on the whole island and no big chain store. By selling new books at big chain prices they would draw in the locals. The island was a playground for the wealthy American and European jet-set. By being the only rare book dealer on the island enabled collectors of rare valuable books and manuscripts to make "finds" while on vacation. With a loan of five hundred thousand dollars from their parents they packed up and headed to the islands. It was a lot of hard work but within six months the business was in the black and they were able to pay back their parents.

"I put your profile up a few hours ago and don't worry, I wasn't stupid enough to put your picture up." Thank God for small miracles. Ireland still felt a little bit like strangling her friend but at least the press wouldn't find her picture on a dating website and dog her father about it. "You've had a few messages but there's only one that I thought you'd like. His screen-name's TexasTornado. You can keep my tablet for the night." She stood up and skipped(yes, skipped) off to her bedroom.

Shaking her head at her friend and kicking out of her heels, Ireland got comfortable on the couch and turned her attention to the tablet. She had to hand it to Seven the profile she had created described her perfectly. She was of average height and had blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was smoker who only drank socially. She loved reading, the beach, and being outdoors. She wanted to get married one day and she wanted a large family. She owned her own business. Even her screen-name TheQuillQueen was perfect. Checking her messages she opened the one from TexasTornado.

*I've never done this before but I promised my step-mom that I'd give this a shot. She thinks I'm single because I never go out. Your profile said you are originally from Washington, which part? Just curious. I was born in a small town in Texas but I've been living in Hawaii since I was thirteen my mom sent me to live with my dad and step-mom. I was a bit of a trouble maker back then. I should tell you that I'm divorced and a single father to two boys. Dakota's twelve and Cobie's six. My ex walked out right after Cobie was born.  
Your description sounds beautiful. I'm of average height and muscular. I box to stay in shape and relieve stress. I have long, dark brown hair that I keep tied back and dark brown eyes. I have a bit of Native American in me. I have a lot of tattoos and I hope that doesn't bother you. I have full sleeves and a few big ones on my back.  
You own a bookstore? Wow, there's not many of those nearby. Dakota loves reading. I might have to bring him by...on second thought he may bankrupt me if I do. lol  
I'm a bail enforcement officer and bondsman. I own my own bail bonds company and I help my dad at his company when his clients skip bail. When I'm not working I spend my time with my boys, at the beach, playing with my dog and going to workout at the gym.  
I'm 35 and want to try my luck with marriage one more time. Any woman that wants to be with me has to understand that she is not only entering into a romantic relationship but also becoming a member of a family. My boys come before anyone else and that includes girlfriends. My boys don't have a mother and I'm hoping to find a woman willing to take on that title. My boys are hoping for that too. I come from a large family. I'm one of twelve(yes, you read that right.) kids and I'm very close to my dad and step-mom as well as my brothers and sisters. We get together all the time and we can be a bit loud. I don't want a girl whose willing to put up with my family, I want a girl willing to become part of my family.  
When I'm with a woman I like to be the dominant partner. This doesn't mean that I want to control you. I would never do that. I just want to be the one you go to when you have a problem. I want to protect you from the world. I'm old fashioned like that.  
I should also tell you that I'm kinda famous(very much against my will.). My family is filmed for a reality show called Dog the Bounty Hunter. If you are interested please message me back.  
Leland*

Ireland left the message up and opened a new browser tab. She googled Dog the Bounty Hunter + Leland Chapman. When his picture pulled up she found herself suddenly feeling warm all over. He was gorgeous! She hated to sound like Stephanie Meyers but he looked like he had been carved from stone. She had to message him back. Closing the tab she went back to her messages and hit reply.

*Hi Leland,  
Please excuse me if I'm horrible at this. I've never done this before either. I didn't even put up my own profile. I came home from a horrible blind date to find that my best friend and roommate had signed me up. She said that because she's about to leave and move in with her fiance and get her happily ever after I have to get mine too. She's an odd duck.  
My name is Ireland and I was born in Forks, Washington. If that rings a bell it's because it's where those horrible Twilight books take place. Because of those books I now tell people who ask that I'm from Seattle. lol I'm laughing but I'm also not kidding.  
I understand completely with what you said about your boys and their place in your life. You sound like a wonderful father. That's a required trait any man that wants to be with me has to have. I'm an only child who wants to have a large family. The idea of a ready made family doesn't bother me. I would actually welcome it.  
I'm the daughter of a senator who wants to one day run for President. I leave town a lot on election years because I help my father campaign. If you want to be with me you have to accept that.   
In my free time I like to read on the beach, listen to music, hang out outdoors, and watch old black and white movies.  
I'm completely okay with tattoo's and long hair.  
Dakota sounds like someone after my own heart. My bookstore's called The Quill if you ever want to drop by.  
Ireland*

When she finished typing she hit sent before she had a chance to talk herself out of it. She set Seven's tablet on the coffee table and headed to bed. That night she dreamed of an inked up Adonis who helped her kill Stephanie Meyers for ruining a perfectly good descriptive phrase.


	2. Chapter Two

The next day was a Sunday and Ireland slept in because the store was closed on Sundays. The first this she did that morning was sit up in bed and grab her laptop off of her night stand. Logging onto plentyoffish she checked her messages. Ignoring five other new messages she clicked on the new one from Leland.

 

*Hey Ireland,  
Beautiful and unique name by the way. So, I did something stupid this morning. I was going to try being all sweet and charming and show up to meet you at The Quill. I didn't know that you weren't open on Sundays. You sound awesome and I'd really like to meet you. We seem to have the same goals in life. I really want to get to know you better so here it goes. Tell me something interesting about yourself. Something interesting about me is that while I work in law enforcement now when I was a teenager I used to run with a gang. It's the main reason I was sent to live with me dad. Him and my step-mom have been in the bail bonds business for years and my old man's done hard time. He didn't want me to end up in prison like him so he cracked the whip on me big time. lol I hated him than but I am beyond grateful for him and Beth(my step-mom).  
Tell me about your family. Are you close? I'm not close with my mom and step-dad. We exchange Christmas and birthday gifts and I take the boys to visit every Thanksgiving but that's about it. My dad and step-mom, I'm really close to. I am one of twelve kid and I love all of my brothers and sisters but I am closest with my brothers Duane Lee and Wesley and my sister Lyssa.  
What's the worst thing that ever happened to you? (You can skip this question if you want.) My little sister Barbara Katie died in a car accident a few years ago. It damn near me killed me.   
So, you really are from Forks huh? So I have to know. Does Edward really sparkle in the sun? lol J/K I'm so glad I have boys and didn't have to put up with any of that Twilight crap. Well, I'm out of stuff to say. I hope to hear from you soon.  
Leland*

 

That familiar feeling was back as Ireland finished reading. Knowing that Leland had tried to see her made her heart rate go up. She hit reply.

 

*Leland,  
I am so sorry you went all the way to the store for nothing, That was very charming. Below are the answers to your questions.  
Interesting fact about me: I went to boarding school with Princess Emily of Cotia and country singer Lyric Monroe-Moore.  
Family: I'm an only child and I'm very close to my parents. My family has been in politics since the 1880's. It's in our blood. Truth be told I love politics.  
Worst thing to ever happen to me: I watched Princess Emily's grandfather get shot and killed. It was an assassination attempt on Emily. We were on vacation in Boston. It happened on the steps of the Old North Church. It's the historic church that's mentioned in the poem Paul Revere's Midnight Ride. Where they warned the British were coming by hanging lanterns. One if by land, two if by sea. I can't bare to hear or read that poem anymore and it was my favorite when I was a little girl.  
Answering those questions was my not so sutble way of saying that I would very much like to get to know you too. I'll be honest and admit that I've never seen your show but google has been very, very kind to you. Since I looked you up it's only fair that I allow you to do the same. My full name is Ireland Kinnly. Please ignore all the photos where I look like a Princess Diana clone. Those were taken at campaign events. I guess I get to ask you a few questions now huh?  
1\. You said you want to get married again but do you want more children? I told you I wanted to have a large family, like the Kennedys...but with morals.  
2\. My father's a democratic senator from Washington who wants to run for President. Would you be willing to go on the campaign trail with me?  
3\. I've heard some horror stories about online dating so I have to ask before this goes any further. You're not into any weird things, you know...sexually are you?  
I am so sorry about your little sister. As an only child I can't even begin to imagine how horribly painful that must have been for you and your family.   
What are you doing messaging me on this beautiful Hawaiian Sunday? Why are you no tout doing something fun with your boys? I'm staying locked up in my room-1.) because I'm and lazy and 2.) because I don't want to get dragged to whatever self-help seminar my roommate signed up for this week. I shall only emerge when I hear the front door closing informing me that she has left the building.  
Ireland*

 

After she hit send Ireland dragged herself out of bed and into the en-suite bathroom to take a shower. It was as she was towel drying her that she heard the tell-tale signs of Seven leaving the house. Knowing it was safe she grabbed her laptop and a cup of coffee and went and sat out on the lanai'. As she settled down in her favorite chair and focused her attention on the computer screen. She already had a reply from Leland. Opening it she settled into read.

 

*Ireland,  
My boys deserted me! Dakota's at the beach with some friends and Cobie is over at my dad's place having a grandpa day. Even my dog refuses to play with me. I'm bored.   
Google was kind to me huh? Well babe, if google was kind to me than it blessed you. A smart woman as beautiful as you would make someone like Princess Diana proud. From what you told me you have lived a very interesting life. I'm so sorry for what happened to you and your friends in Boston. I wish you hadn't had to witness that. Now to your questions.  
Yes, I want more children. I want the exact same things as you.  
Yes, I would campaign with you so long as I agreed with your father's politics.  
Finally, and I had to stop laughing to answer this question, no, I'm not into any kinky or weird stuff sexually. I can be a litlle rough from time to time I may be a bit dominant but sex in the shower and outside, like on the beach, is as kinky as I get. You know you never answer this question yourself right? Just saying.  
Now for some more questions. (Insert evil laugh here.)  
You know my private life is sometimes filmed for a reality television show. If we were dating would you mind being filmed?  
Say we had been dating for awhile. I call you from work and tell you I'm running late and have no one to pick up the boys from school. What would you do? Just curious.  
I wish I could think of more questions for you but I can't. You ever escape from you room?  
Leland  
P.S. I'm dying to meet you woman!*

 

Ireland was on her fourth cup of coffee when she sent her reply.

 

*Leland,  
I escaped from my room a long time ago. Now I'm hanging out outside. On to the question answers.  
1\. The sex question is hard to answer. I'm going to be perfectly honest with you and that I don't know what I like in bed. Please don't laugh at me but I'm a virgin. There I said it. I know I'm weird.  
2.) I don't think I'd have a problem being filmed. It's part of your job and I totally understand that. I would just have a problem if there were cameras around 24/7.  
3\. If you were to call and tell me you were running late and had no one to pick up the boys, and we'd been dating awhile the boys were comfortable with me, I'd go and pick them up myself.  
My turn for questions!  
1\. Does it bother you that I'm a virgin? For the record my lack of a sex life had nothing to do with religion and I'm not waiting for marriage.  
2\. Do high society parties bother you? I'm not a fan but my mother lives for them I'm forced to endure them whenever I go home to visit.  
3\. Do you want to meet me as badly as I want to meet you?"  
Ireland*

 

It took Leland almost an hour to respond and for a little while Ireland was convinced that she had scared him off by telling him that she was a virgin. When he finally replied she let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.

 

*Ireland,  
Sweetheart, I want to meet you more than I want me next breath. You sound like the perfect woman for me.  
Babe, you being a virgin is a point in your favor in my book. It show you have respect for yourself.  
If I get to go home with you at the end of the night, I'll go to whatever party you want me to. I'm happy with my catch so I'm done fishing. What about you?  
Leland  
P.S. I want to hear your voice, 555-1837 Call me babe.*

 

Ireland just sat and stared at her laptop screen for a few minutes. She wanted to call him, she really did. She was just scared. Deciding what to do she hit the reply button.

 

*Leland,  
This is going to sound really stupid but I'm scared to call you. 555-1076. Could you call me? For some reason it's easier for me to answer the phone as opposed to dialing.  
Ireland*

 

Taking her computer and going back into the house she had just stepped foot in her bedroom when her cell phone began ringing. Taking a deep, steadying breath she answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey beautiful," He had a unique voice with just a hint of an island accent.

"I'm going to assume this is Leland." She kidded.

"You assume right." He laughed. "Now, tell me, do I sound like someone you should be afraid to call?"

This made her laugh and set her at ease. "No, you don't. I was just nervous. Plus I hate talking on the phone. I have ever since I was a kid."

"How do you feel about meeting in person?" He asked.

"What?" Did he say what she thought he said?

"Well, it's only noon and I'n kid free until six. Do you want to meet up and hang out for a little while? We can meet somewhere public...like the beach. If it's too soon for you I   
understand. I just really want to meet you." He sounded completely sincere and Ireland really did want to meet him.

"The beach is perfect. When and where do you want to meet?" Ireland knew she should be more careful about meeting people that she met on the internet but in this case her heart won out over her better judgement.

 

TBC


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leland and Ireland meet in this story in the same way and on the same website that I met my husband on. A few sentences in a couple of their messages to each other I actually copied from old e-mails I saved between my husband and I. And while Leland and Ireland meet at a beach for the first time, I met my husband in a state park. Both Ireland and I were dumb enough to let men we barely knew lead us out onto cliffs...good thing my husband wasn't one of those internet killers.
> 
> Umm...I have no idea what political party the Chapman family supports or even if they vote at all. I've seen photos of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama hanging in their offices so...your guess is as good as mine. I am not going to state my political affiliation in any way, shape, or form(that can of worms should NEVER be opened on the internet.). I decided to write this story because I have been reading about the Kennedys a lot lately...don't ask...I get obsessed with subjects way too easily. I dare you to quiz me on historical trivia about the Titanic(I could do pretty well at the movie trivia as well to be honest)...that was my last obsession...it lasted ten years. Let me finish this author's note by saying that no matter what I write...some of my best friends are Republicans. To those friends...I love you...please forgive me. :)

After arranging a meet-up spot Leland and Ireland said their goodbyes. Slipping into a pair of jean shorts and a blue tank-top Ireland momentarily thought about putting makeup on and doing something with her hair but in the end decided against it. She hardly ever wore makeup and usually wore her long, blonde hair down unless it was extremely hot or she was in bed. Why pretend to be something that she wasn't? It wasn't honest, Leland should know what he was getting without any glamours covering up her flaws.   
Getting into her Impala she made the ten-minute drive to their agreed upon meeting spot; a beach front parking lot. He was already there waiting for her when she pulled in. He was wearing black board shorts and a white wifebeater. He was leaning was leaning against a white Hummer with his sunglasses perched on top of his head. Pulling into the spot next to him she killed the engine and stepped out, looking the doors. Taking a deep breath she walked up to him.

He smiled at her. "Ireland?"

She nodded and smiled nervously. "Yeah,"

He leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Relax babe, I dont bite." He whispered in her ear before he pulled away.

Ireland laughed. "I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me." That was such a lie and she knew it but now was not the time to go there.

Leland reached out and took her hand. "Don't worry about it. Do you want to take a walk with me?"

"I'd love to."

They walked for about half an hour making small talk and getting comfortable with one another. By the time Leland led her up to the top of one of Kona's many seaside cliffs Ireland was completely relaxed and was thoroughly enjoying Leland's company. He took a seat on the edge, letting his legs swing over and patted the spot beside him. She took a seat and gazed out over the water.

"I've never been up her before. It's so beautiful."

"And peaceful." Leland agreed. "I used to come out here for some time to myself when my marriage went south." He confided.

"If you don't mind me asking, what happened with you and your ex-wife?" Ireland inquired softly. "All you really said was that she walked out right after Cobie was born."

"I got married for all the wrong reasons." He admitted. "Maui was my high school sweetheart and she got pregnant when we were eighteen. I wanted to do right by her and my child so I married her." He explained. "I never stopped to think that we didn't want the same things. Maui wanted to move to the mainland and become an actress. I wanted to raise a family and have a normal life. She resented me pretty much from the start but once she got pregnant with Cobie she really started hating my guts. When Cobie was a few months old she dropped him and Dakota off at my office and I didn't see her again until we signed the divorce papers. I haven't heard from her since."

"I am so sorry." Ireland shook her head. "You and the boys didn't deserve that."

Leland smiled softly at her. "So, what's your story? How are you still a virgin?"

Ireland hoped he didn't notice her blush. "I went to an all-girls boarding school and college. When I graduated I moved home and all the men in my family's circle are so dull. They were all lawyers or stockbrokers and wanted a nice house, a pretty wife, and one point two kids. I wouldn't make a good social register wife. Once I moved out here I devoted all of my time to my store and the years kind of slipped by me."

"I think it shows that you have class." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "I like that in a woman honestly."

"I'm glad," Ireland laughed a little because she didn't know what else to say.

He leaned over and began to nuzzle her ear. "Will you go to dinner with me tomorrow night?"

"I'd like that." She turned her face to his so that their noses brushed together. Taking a chance she leaned forward and sealed her lips to his. She was relieved when he opened his mouth and traced the seam of her lips with his tongue, asking for entrance. She happily granted it. She was in a world where only the two of them existed. This world was shattered when her iPhone began playing Follow The Yellow Brick Road. Her mother was calling. She groaned and reluctantly pulled away from the kiss. "Sorry," She smiled meekly. "It's my mom. She only calls if it's something important." She dug her phone out of her pocket.

"It's cool babe." Leland had a wide smile on his face.

"Hi mom." Ireland answered the phone.

"Where are you Ireland?" Were the first words out of her mother's mouth. Ireland could hear the unnecassary panic in her voice. "I called the house and no one answered. You're always home on Sundays unless you go to church and we both know you haven't been to Mass since Christmas Eve." Her Irish Catholic mother couldn't help but squeeze that lecture into the conversation.

"I'm sitting on a cliff enjoying the view, wasn't planned but it's nice." Ireland answered without addressing her mother's concerns on her lack of attendance at church. That would lead to a two-hour long conversation that she just did not have the patience for.

"Why would you be on a cliff to begin with?" Her mother sounded puzzled.

"Because my boyfriend left me and I'm thinking of jumping." Ireland replied sarcastically. She loved her mother, she really did but she could be so...motherly at times...to the point of causing migraines. 

Her quip at least made Leland laugh although he tried to hide behind a cough so it didn't appear as though he was eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Very cute Ireland Rose...suicide is a mortal sin." Her mother said drly. Ireland really wanted to put her two cents in on THAT topic but she left it alone...and it was killing her. "I'm calling to see if you could join your father and I in D.C. on the twenty-eighth of next month?"

"Probably," Ireland responded. "Why? What's going on next month?"

"Your father is going to announce that he's running for President on the Democratic ticket."

Ireland was shocked. She hadn't been expecting this. Her father had said nothing about this just the previous month when she had been home for Christmas. She thought she had at least four more years before her father threw his hat into the ring.

"Wow, um...listen mom, I'm with a friend right now and I have to run. I'll be there on the twenty-eighth. Tell daddy that I love him and that I'm proud of him. I'll call you later. Love you, bye." She hurried off the phone. Her brain had suddenly shut down on her.

"Are you okay?" Leland rubbed her arm and the simple gesture seemed to snap her back into reality. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

"I have to go to D.C. for a few more days next month." Ireland explained. "My father's going to announce he's seeking the democratic nomination for president." Her words came out rather...was numb the correct word? Whatever her tone...even her knew that it couldn't sound natural.

"Wow," Leland's initial response was the same as hers had been. "You must be really proud of him."

"I am." Ireland nodded. "I'm just in a little bit of shock. I wasn't expecting him to run in this election. Damn, my life is about to go under the microscope. If you want to cut your losses and run now I really wouldn't blame you." 

Leland just shook his head in amusement. "I told you I was done fishing and I meant it. I'm dating you, not the press and not your father."

The butterflies in Ireland's stomach suddenly all developed ADHD. They went crazy.

"Is that what we're doing? Dating, I mean." She had to ask just to be sure. She didn't want to assume anything about their relationship. She really liked Leland and didn't want to do anything to scare him off.

"That's why I was hoping." Leland suddenly seemed rather shy. "Honestly, I wanted to know if we could see each other exclusively? I don't want to see anyone else and I hope that you don't." He was like a teenager asking the head cheerleader to the prom. It was really rather endearing.

"I'm only interested in you." Ireland smiled.

"Good." He leaned forward and gave her another soft kiss. When he pulled away he had an almost sad look on his face. "I really hate to say this but I need to get going. I need to get changed and go and pick up Dakota. My family's getting together at my dad's place for Sunday dinner. It's kind of a tradition with us."

Ireland didn't want him to go but she understood that Leland had family obligations. His loyalty to his kids and family was one of the reasons she was so attracted to him.  
"I completely understand." She assured him. "Besides we'll see each other tomorrow. Go and enjoy yourself with your family."

He kissed her again. "Can I walk you back to your car?"

Ireland shook her head. "No thanks. I'm going to hang out here for awhile longer." She still needed to get her head around the fact that her father was about to run for President of the United States.

Leland carefully got to his feet. Leaning down he placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Be careful getting down babe. Can I call you later tonight?"

"Of course you can." Ireland nodded. "I'm always up pretty late." She informed him.

TBC


	4. Chapter Four

Ireland was in a bit of a daze when she finally returned home. She had stayed on the Cliffside for another hour after Leland had left. It had been one hell of a day. One like she had never had before and doubted she ever would again.

She had a new boyfriend. One that was sweet, smart, successful, and did she mention sexy as hell? She could actually see this relationship going somewhere. She couldn't remember the last time a man had made her feel the way Leland made her feel. That was probably because no other man had ever captured her attention the way Leland had.

So far, she loved everything she had learned about her new flame. She adored his devotion to his sons and admired his sense of family. She liked that Leland had old fashioned morals but seemed completely at ease with an independent woman who liked to pave her own way. He wasn't intimidated by her family's public status but she suspected that was something that Leland liked about her as well.

Speaking of family...she couldn't believe that he father was throwing his hat in the upcoming presidential race. She was equal parts proud and terrified. Proud because she knew that her father's lifelong dream was to be President of the United States. Terrified because she knew that intense media glare and working the campaign trail would cause a lot of stress on her and her family.

As she killed her car's engine, she was relieved to see that Seven was not yet home. She wasn't ready to share her news yet. She still needed some time to process everything before she discussed it with anyone.

When she went to grab her cell phone out of the center console she noticed that the light on top was green and blinking indicating that she had a message.

Unlocking her phone she found two texts messages waiting for her. The first was from Seven. She had located a rare, signed, first French edition of The Phantom of the Opera on the island of Oahu. She was catching the next flight out so she could buy it for the store before another collector come along and wouldn't be returning until the following evening.

Ireland sent Seven a quick text letting her friend know she had received the message and would take her morning shift at the store before opening the text from Leland.

*Hey babe, you still at the beach?*

Why was he asking? She really hoped that Leland wasn't they type of man who had to know every step his girlfriend took.

*Just pulled into my driveway, why?*

His response came almost right away.

*Just got done with dinner and the boys are spending the night at my dad's place. I was hoping you were still at the beach so we could hang out a little more. I miss you.*

That made her smile.

*Sorry to disappoint but you're welcome to come hang out at my place.*

Had she just invited a man back to her house? She had never in her life done that and she would have no clue how to act once he arrived. All she knew was that she shouldn't invite him inside for coffee...Seven told her that was the standard invitation for sex. Leland was handsome but not handsome enough for her to suddenly become a loose woman. Oh well, it was too late to back out now. She had already sent the text.

Once again, Leland replied quickly.

*You could never disappoint me, babe. What's your address?*

Taking a deep breath and swallowing down her fear she texted him her address.

*See you soon babe.*

She got out of the car and made her way inside. Walking into the kitchen to grab a beer, she was surprised to hear the doorbell go off before she even had time to pop the can open.

Going and opening the door, she found Leland standing on her stoop wearing black cargo pants and a white long-sleeved Ed Hardy t-shirt.

Unsure of how to properly greet him, Ireland just stood there awkwardly for a moment before Leland saved her further embarrassment by leaning in and giving her a quick peck on the lips.

"We really have to work on the whole you being scared of me thing if this relationship is going to work," He told her gently as he fully stepped inside and closed the door behind him.

Ireland cast her eyes to the marble floor of the entrance hall and spoke her response to her feet. "I'm sorry Leland."

She felt his hand under her chin as he gently forced her to look up at him. When she met his gaze, he was smiling warmly at her.

"You have nothing to be sorry for baby." He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "How about we grab me one of those," He nodded at the unopen beer can that Ireland still held. "and we go out back and just talk for awhile. There's a storm coming out over the ocean, we could watch it come roll in together."

Not wanting to clue Leland into her irrational fear of thunderstorms (she was from rainy Washington State for goodness sake) and badly needing a cigarette, Ireland agreed.

That is how they found themselves sitting at the side of the pool with their feet dangling in the water.

"So, do you and your roommate own this place or rent?" Leland asked, making small talk to start things off.

This set Ireland more at ease. He was very good at making her feel comfortable with him.

"I own it actually," She answered. "Seven only stays with me when her fiancé is deployed because she doesn't like living alone." She decided to ask a question of her own. "How close does your dad live that you got here so fast? I was barely in the door before you showed up."

Leland chuckled. "Would you believe me if I told you that my dad and Beth only live three streets over and I'm only down the street from them? I actually walked here."

Ireland could believe it. Her dream man had been living in the same neighborhood as her the entire time. "Wow, small world. I guess being able to walk here will be a blessing on your wallet seeing as you drive a hummer. Don't you have to stop for gas like every half of a mile?"

"Pretty much," Leland nodded.

He pulled a pack of Newport cigarettes out of his pants pocket and lit up two. Apparently they also shared the same bad habits. He handed one to her and took a drag off of his own before speaking again.

"Did you know that in my line of work that I've learned to profile people pretty well? Do you know what that is?" He asked.

She nodded, not sure she was going to like where this was going. "Yeah, my friend Charlie is a profiler for the FBI."

"Well, I've been profiling you since we first started talking and I want you to answer a question for me."

"What?" Ireland asked nervously.

"What was his name?" Leland asked.

"Excuse me?" What was he talking about? Ireland was confused.

"I want to know that name of the idiot that broke your heart and killed your self-esteem," He said flat out. "I'm guessing you were a teenager and he was your first love."

How in the hell had he figured that out? Even Seven didn't know that story. Leland could read her better than one of her best friends.

"His name was Jeremy," She said so softly Leland had to lean closer to hear her. "And I was nineteen when we met..."


	5. Chapter Five

Thunder could be heard him the distance, coming ever closer. Lighting flashed in the sky out over the ocean giving the water that haunted purple color. That unique smell that always came with a thunderstorm coming in off of the water was in the air as she told her story.

"I was working at this grocery store in Winston-Salem, North Carolina where I went to college." Ireland couldn't believe that she was telling him this story. She was highly embarrassed by this chapter in her life. "He was a daily customer, and come to find out, he was only coming in to see me. He was charming at first, real sweet and a total gentleman." She laughed bitterly. "Then he started telling me that I wasn't beautiful but I was just averagely pretty. He would tell me that he could get supermodels to share his bed if he wanted to...which was actually hilarious now that I think back on it. Jeremy wasn't anything special to look at, he couldn't even have been called handsome. He was freakishly tall, had long wild and curly muddy river hair that he always kept tied back, a baby face and this horrible southern drawl. He was raised in a small town in South Carolina and I could never figure out if he even finished high school or not. All I knew is he worked from home fixing computers. I finally figured out he was using me for money but that was only after three years and breaking up only God knows how many times. He had this pull over me and I have no clue why." It actually felt good to be talking about this. "He was my first love and I guess you could say that I was obsessed with him. I would tell these horrible, transparent lies to try and fit the image of who he wanted me to be. I would agree to almost anything for him and I would freak out if I thought he was mad at me or was about to disappear from my life."

She stopped speaking for a moment and chanced a look at Leland to see how he was handling her story. She was pretty much confessing that at one point in her life she had been a stage-four clinger.

He didn't seem freaked out or even phased in the least. He took a drag off of his cigarette. He didn't say anything just gently nudged her foot underneath the water to encourage her to continue.

"I don't know why but one day it was like I finally woke up and realized that I was wasting my life with someone who would never love me the way that I loved him. I hate to admit this but to break myself of my Jeremy habit, I just cut off all contact with him. I didn't even tell him that I was breaking up with him. I was terrified he would talk me out of breaking it off. I just changed my number and never spoke to him again." She watched as Leland threw his cigarette into the ashtray she kept by the pool. He reached over and intertwined their fingers together. She finished her story. "Once I finished school, I moved home to Forks and pretty much stopped dating. I was terrified of getting into another relationship like the one I had with Jeremy. The only dates I really went on before you were dates that were forced upon me by well-meaning if not misguided friends."

"Why take a chance with me?" Leland finally spoke.

Ireland didn't know how to answer that question because she really didn't have an answer herself. All she knew was that her gut and her heart were telling her that Leland could be trusted. She decided she would be honest with him, which was always the best policy after all.

"Because something inside of me is telling me that you are worth the risk and my daddy always taught me to follow my gut, it's served him well."

He smiled and leaned over and sealed their lips together. When they pulled apart he leaned his forehead against hers. "You didn't scare me off if that's what you were worried about baby."

She sighed a small bit in relief. Now that everything was out in the open, she really didn't know what to say or in which way to steer the conversation. She hadn't been in a relationship in over four years. She was a little rusty.

The thunder was getting louder now.

"Are you working tomorrow?" Leland once again saved the conversation. He would never know how grateful she was for that.

She pulled away from him and nodded. "Yeah, I'm covering Seven's shift in the morning because she's over on Oahu making a purchase for the store...that I might keep. She found a signed first edition of my favorite book."

"What book?"

"The Phantom of the Opera." She confided. "It's even the French first edition," She laughed. "I know I'm a geek."

Leland shook his head and smiled. "I actually think it's cute,"

Tiny droplets of rain slowly began to hit their skin.

Leland got to his feet and offered her his hand. "I think we better get inside,"

She let pull her to her feet just as the heaven's opened and the rain came pouring down.

Making a run for the house, they were completely soaked when they finally made it inside the house, where the preceded the soak the living room floor. Ireland was now silently thanking God that had decided against getting carpeting for the living room. The hardwood was much easier to keep clean. She would still need to mop up the water soon before the wood was damaged.

Ireland couldn't believe the next words that left her mouth. "It's coming down pretty hard out there. Do you want to stay the night? Just to sleep." She rushed to add. "You're about the same size as Seven's fiancé, I'm sure I can find something of his in her room that you could change into."

Oh dear Lord in heaven, what was she getting herself into?

Leland was unbraiding his hair to let it dry when she asked her question. He finished and quickly ran his fingers through his long hair before he answered.

"I'd love to baby girl," He leaned over and kissed her as he grabbed her gently around the waist and pulled her into his arms.

She completely forgot all about mopping the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck and got lost in the kiss.


	6. Chapter Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you don't like lemons...move along...nothing to see here.

***WARNING*** This chapter is one big lemon, if that's not your cup of tea, skip this chapter.

Ireland was damn near shaking as she waited in her bedroom for Leland to finish changing in her bathroom. She had found a pair of men's black drawstring lounge pants and a black wife beater tucked away in one of Seven's dresser drawers. She didn't know how many more times she could ask herself this question but what the hell was she thinking?

She turned down the bedcovers and climbed into bed, pulling the covers all of the ways up to her chin.

When Leland finally stepped out of the bathroom, he laughed.

Crawling onto the bed beside her, he laid his chin on her stomach. "You really don't have to be scared of me baby girl," He told her gently.

Blushing, and thanking God that he couldn't see in the dark, she pulled the blankets down to her waist, revealing her nightgown. It was gray and had the words 'Baby Girl' spelled out across the front in green lettering. It had been a gift from her friend Lyric. Ireland had had a crush on the actor Shemar Moore in high school and 'Baby Girl' was his clothing line.

Leland started tracing the lettering of the nightie, which ran along her chest and stomach. It was almost like he was testing her to see how much she could handle.

"I would never hurt you," He told her in a husky whisper. "I would never tell you that you were anything less than breathtakingly beautiful. I would never push you further than you were ready to go,"

He eyed as if to tell her this was her chance to tell him to stop his ministrations. She didn't stop him.

"Did you ever share a bed with Jeremy?" He asked her. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,"

She began to run her fingers through his loose hair as she spoke. "I really am a virgin, if that's what you're asking...Jeremy never got passed that barrier." She didn't notice the pun until it was too late.

Leland, thankfully, didn't turn it into a joke.

He leaned up and gently gripped her chin. "I never doubted that princess," He kissed the tip of her nose.

She felt like crying but she restrained herself...barely. "And yes, we shared a bed many times...but it was never really intimate. He wasn't the cuddly type. Once, while we were on the campaign trail with my dad during one of his senate races I was acting so clingy, according to him, and trying to cuddle so much that he actually choose to sleep in the other bed in our hotel room for the remainder of our stay in one town. He was totally okay with me being a virgin because he said, and I swear I'm not trying to be vulgar, that he would 'too big for me to handle'...later found out he was getting it from everybody but me."

"Fucking dumbass," She was taken aback by his language.

He leaned up and rested his weight on his hands on either side of her head. Leaning down until his nose was just barely rubbing against hers, he spoke. "Jeremy was a fucking dumbass...he was too blinded by your money and your innocence to see the treasure that was sitting right in front of him...I'm not that fucking stupid princess."

Usually, she would have been completely turned off by that type of language but the sheer emotion that she felt behind his words made the floodgates open. Tears slowly began to slip down her cheeks.

Nuzzling her nose for a second, Leland began to lightly kiss the tears off of her cheeks. When he heard her gasp, he grew a bit bolder and began lightly licking the salty tears away.

Ireland felt the heat pouring between her thighs, in a way it never had for Jeremy.

Leland licked his way up to her ear and took the lobe gently between his teeth and softly nibbled on it for a second before bringing his lips up to whisper in her ear. "I'm not trying to take your cherry princess, I haven't earned that right yet, but I want to make you feel good...will you let me?"

Ireland's brain told her that she should say no, that it was way too soon for anything like this. Her heart and her body, on the other hand, were both telling her to go for it.

"I trust you," She responded...because it was the truth, she really did trust him.

At her words, he lay on his side beside her. Wordlessly he began to let his hand travel up her cotton covered stomach and to her neck. He lightly lets his fingertips drag lightly along her neck and Ireland let her eyes fall shut.

From her neck, his fingers traveled to her breasts where he traced each nipple before letting his hand travel lower.

"Are you okay princess?" He asked before he allowed himself to go any lower.

She was breathing heavily as she responded. "Yes, please don't stop,"

His hand rubbed her thigh before traveling further north. Pushing her nightie up to bunch around her waist, he traced the waistband of her panties with his index finger.

"Can we lose the nightgown Ireland?"

She should have been scared. She had never been bare before any man before, not even Jeremy, but she wasn't. She just wanted to feel him touch her...and she wanted to see more of him.

"Only if I can see you too," She told him rather meekly.

"Hold on a second," He jumped out of the bed.

She heard him rummaging around and then the sound of a lighter lighting. She watched as Leland lit the jarred candles that she kept on her dresser and bedside table and then crawled back into bed.

He stole a steamy kiss before reaching for the bottom of her nightie. "I want to actually be able to see your beautiful body." He pulled the garment over her head and threw it the ground.

He backed away and took and moment to admire her body, a pair of baby blue lace panties the only thing now protecting her modesty. After he seemed to get his fill, at least for the moment, he again climbed out of bed. He pulled the wife beater over his head and quickly kicked out of the lounge pants before joining her back on the bed.

Moving quickly, he pushed her to the bed and moved between her legs. Spreading her legs gently with his hands he settled between her legs before looking up into her eyes.

"Can I take them off?" He asked huskily.

She didn't have to ask what 'them' was. Unable to form words, she simply nodded.

With both hands, he quickly pulled her panties down her legs and threw them over his shoulders before settling back between her legs.

Leaning closer and steadying himself by holding onto both of her thighs, with her legs bent at the knee, he blew softly at her center.

Gasping Ireland's back arched off of the bed just as Leland let his hands travel up to gently squeeze her breasts as he leaned forward and began to gently suckle on her core.

It wasn't before she found herself coming undone under his expert hands and mouth.

As she lay catching her breath, he moved to lay on his back at her side.

He pulled her to lay on his chest and pulled the blankets up to cover them both.

"I hope you know that I'm falling for you hard Ireland," He kissed her forehead.

"The feeling is mutual," She responded kissing his chest.


	7. Chapter Seven

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now a long-planned crossover with my other story Dangerous Eyes. So, be ready to meet Shamar Moore and Ireland's best friend from boarding school Lyric.

Ireland woke with the first rays if the morning sunlight, She knew she had to get up but she didn't want to. Feeling warm and safe cuddled up to Leland's firm chest with their legs entwined together, she didn't want to move.

Last night was one of the most amazing nights of her life. Leland was everything she needed but didn't know she wanted.

He wasn't a sweet talker. He was honest, blunt, and at times rather crude. Ireland never had to wonder if he was sincere. Leland didn't say anything unless it was the truth. It was refreshing change of pace.

He made her feel beautiful and in the course of a day had made her comfortable enough to not only cry in his presence, something she hated to do in front of anyone, but he had made her comfortable enough to allow intimacy.

Jeremy didn't get as far as Leland got in one night in three years. Ireland would never have allowed Jeremy to go that far. Why had she permitted Leland to?

Because, as she had told him the night before, she was falling for Leland...hard. She was only now coming to understand that what she had with Jeremy had been nothing more than an obsessive form of puppy love.

Her morning musings were rather rudely interrupted by her bedroom door flying open and roommate breezing in.

Ireland quickly pulled the covers up to cover her and Leland's chests. What was the little pixie doing home? She wasn't expected until the evening. And why was her hair blue? It had been orange when they had last seen each other...yesterday.

"Oh, wow," Seven brought a hand up to cover her eyes. "I thought you were alone...my bad."

She still wasn't leaving and Leland was now wide awake, laying with his hands behind his head as Ireland clutched the sheet to her chest, watching the events going on around him with what seemed like genuine amusement.

"Did you need something Seven?" She through gritted teeth.

"Yeah, I was able to catch an earlier flight home and wanted to drop by and let you know that I don't need you to cover my shift this morning...I'm going to go now." She still had her hand over her eyes as she made a hasty retreat from the room, closing the door behind her.

Neither had a chance to speak before one of their cell phones started vibrating.

They both had the same iPhone but when Leland answered one she assumed it was his.

Her assumption was proven wrong when he handed her the phone.

"It's your friend Lyric," He informed her.

Lyric was her childhood best friend whom she had met in boarding school. She was a country music singer who was always on the road so phone calls were few and far in-between.

Taking the phone from his hand, she brought it to her ear.

"Hey, Lyric," She said as normally as she possibly could.

Lyric had had a major crush on Leland in boarding school. She always talked about him. Ireland hadn't made the connection until that moment because for all of Lyric's talking she had never seen a photograph of Leland until she had went searching herself. She wondered if her friend was going to be mad.

"Who was that?" Lyric asked curiously with that slight southern drawl that she was so famous for.

"My boyfriend," She kept the answer short and sweet. "What's up?"

"Stalker Boy is back," Was her friend's reply.

"You have got to be shitting me right now,"

She watched Leland's eyebrows shoot up at her language.

Stalker Boy was the nickname that Ireland had given this older man that Lyric had been in a text relationship with when they were teenagers. He had disappeared out of Lyric's life over a decade earlier.

"Nope, I met him face-to-face...Ireland...its Shemar Moore." Lyric dropped the bombshell.

If this had been ten years ago, she would have been insanely jealous. But seeing as Lyric's high school crush had spent last night peeling a Shemar Moore designed nightgown off of her body she really didn't have room to be envious.

Suddenly the fake name, Orlando that Shemar had used back than when talking to Lyric made a lot more sense.

"Diary of a Mad Black Woman!" She said excitedly into the phone.

Leland was looking at her strangely now.

"Uh...what?" Lyric appeared confused as well.

Ireland decided to clarify, for Lyric's benefit at least.

"Shemar's character in the movie Diary of a Mad Black Woman is called Orlando. It came out right around the time the two of you started talking." She was excited by this development...purely for selfish reasons.

If Lyric and Shemar got together than she didn't have to feel guilty about being with Leland.

"So, what are you going to do with this new development?"

"I don't know. He says he still loves me. I'm meeting him in the park in a little under an hour to talk." Lyric sounded nervous. This was the same man who had been her first love and broken her heart. She had every right to be nervous.

Ireland tried to be as upbeat as possible to calm her friend's nerves.

"This is so awesome!"

"Why are you okay with this all of a sudden?" Lyric asked her suspiciously.

Ireland had been dead set against Lyric talking with the older man known only as Orlando...that much is true. They had been young girls and Ireland had been concerned for her friend's safety. Lyric was a grown woman now so Ireland didn't see the problem.

"Because if you get together with my high school crush maybe you'll overlook the fact that I'm dating one of yours?" She asked nervously.

Leland scooted closer and started laying soft kisses on her bare shoulder. She immediately relaxed a little.

"That was Leland Chapman who answered the phone wasn't it?" She could hear the amusement in her friend's voice but Ireland was still a touch nervous.

"Possibly...are you mad?" She asked timidly.

She heard Lyric laugh. "No, not at all. Look, I have to get going. I'll call you tomorrow and let you know what happens."

When she hung up the phone, she put it back on the nightstand and cuddled back up to Leland's chest.

"I guess I have to explain all of that huh?" She asked.

"Your friend Lyric is involved with Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds, who you had a crush on in high school. Lyric had a crush on me and you were worried that she would be upset that we are together."

Okay, maybe she didn't have to explain anything.

Ireland nodded. "Pretty much,"

Leland laughed at the confused look on her face.

"Doing what I do princess, you learn to pay attention to what's going on around you." He explained.

She could understand that. She glanced over at the alarm clock. It was almost seven.

"Don't you have to take the boys to school?"

"Trying to get rid of me already princess?" He kissed her forehead.

"Never," She kissed his chin. "I was just making sure."

He squeezed her a little tighter. "I know. I was joking baby. My sister Lyssa takes all of the kids to school in the mornings and I don't have to be at the office until eleven."

She sat up, not bothering to conceal her modesty with the sheet this time. She wasn't embarrassed being exposed in front of him.

"Do you want to shower and go and grab breakfast at this little place that I know?" She offered. "I don't have to be at work until noon now that Seven is back,"

Leland sat up as well. "I'm game...but only if we can share that shower." He smirked at her.

Ireland didn't even have to hesitate to think this time.

"I'll go and run the water,"


	8. Chapter 8

Ireland and Leland had grabbed breakfast at a little out of the way diner and then parted ways. Leland got a tip on a fugitive he was looking for and Ireland decided to go home and change and head into work early.

Seven met her in the back office of The Quill Bookstore with a knowing smirk on her face.

"Say thank you Seven," Were the first words out of her mouth. Ireland wanted to smack her.

"Go to hell Seven," She said in a sickeningly sweet voice. She took a seat at her desk and tried to ignore her friend.

Seven was having none of this and hopped up on the desk's surface with that stupid smirk still firmly in place.

"Are you telling me that you aren't happy after waking up with Leland Chapman in your bed? How the hell did that happen anyway?"

"He's TexasTornado," Ireland mumbled. She suddenly wasn't sorry for the realistic fake snake with the motion detector that made it rear up and hiss that she had hidden in Seven's desk drawer. She really hoped she opened it at some point in the very near future. Seven hated snakes.

"Holy cow!" Seven laughed mockingly. "I already knew that! I meant how did the two of you end up in bed together?"

"It rained and we didn't have sex," Ireland informed her.

"You sure as hell did something," Seven laughed.

Ireland shook her head and changed the topic of conversation. "Where is that copy of Phantom you picked up yesterday? I wanted to buy it for my library."

Ireland was one of those rare people who still kept a home library. She had renovated one of the bedrooms in her house, installed wall-to-wall bookshelves and furnished the room with miss-matched furniture from garage sales and bean bag chairs. She liked the lived-in look and was just plain odd in general. She had filled the bookshelves with everything from the Harry Potter series to first editions of the works of Shakespeare and Mark Twain. She had also installed a section just for her comic book collection. She wondered what Leland would say about this room. From what he had told her about Dakota, the boy would probably be in heaven.

"Um...about that..." Seven said nervously.

Ireland sighed in annoyance. "Please don't tell me you already sold it. The store's only been open a few hours."

"A guy came in and offered me almost double what it was worth twenty minutes before you got here." Seven defended herself.

She had made a good business decision. Where Ireland would have bought it for cost and the store would have broken even, Seven had turned a pretty good profit. She would have done the same thing if a first edition of The Princess Bride, Seven's favorite book, came into the store. She just really, really wanted that book.

"Don't worry about it. I would have done the same thing."

The day passed slowly and Ireland, with a lack of anything better to do, had decided to stay. There were never many customers on Mondays. Most of the day was spent doing inventory and fulfilling online orders. There hadn't been a customer in over an hour when Ireland heard the bell on the front door sound. Seven out running a few errands, Ireland was alone in the store so she made her way out of the storeroom and the sales floor.

She was pleasantly surprised to find Leland leaning against the check-out counter. She made her way over to him with a smile on her face and placed a kiss on his lips.

"It's nice to have you do that," Leland smiled at her when they pulled apart.

Ireland blushed. She may have been more comfortable with Leland but she was still a little bit awkward at times. Seeing as it had only been a few days she considered the progress she had made to be a miracle.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm waiting on an informant to meet me at the McDonalds up the street in about half an hour and I just wanted to stop in and see how your day was going." He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Are you busy?"

Ireland laughed. "No, Mondays are always slow as hell. Fridays and Saturdays are the real busy days. I had just finished filling the last of our online orders when you came in so unless a customer comes in, which is doubtful until after school lets out, I'm all yours."

"So, where do you want to go to dinner tonight? My boys are out of school for the summer as of tomorrow so my brother is taking them on a camping trip to Colorado and to see my mom in Texas. They are going to be gone for two weeks...I also just so happen to be taking my vacation time. I'm all yours for the next few weeks as of tomorrow...whenever you want to spend time with me that is." He informed her.

She really, truly, absolutely had no idea what to say. Luckily Seven was back and appeared to have heard the entire conversation.

"You know what's convenient Ireland? You have a bunch of vacation time stored up and Alice has been after me for more hours. It would be the perfect time to take it." Seven stuck her nose in where it didn't belong. She turned to Leland. "Leland, nice to see you with your clothes on."

Leland laughed and Ireland shook her head in disbelief.

"Seven, we don't have a vacation time system. I don't take vacations."

"Exactly! See you in two weeks...well, here, I'll, you know, see you at home obviously..." Seven wondered back into her office.

"That strange little pixie is truly insane." She spoke mostly to herself.

Not two minutes after Seven had left the room her shrieks of terror and then screams of rage reached their ears and Ireland almost died laughing while Leland looked torn between alarm and amusement.

Seven came stomping back onto the sales floor, the fake snake clutched in her hands. "You are a BITCH!" She threw the snake at her feet and stomped back to her office and slammed the door.

Seven just continued laughing.

"You're not concerned by how upset that girl was?" Leland asked her in disbelief.

Seven shook her head as her laughter died down and she wiped tears of mirth from her face.

"This is a weekly occurrence. She'll be back in a minute."

Sure enough, Seven came back just a few minutes later, completely calm.

"Ireland, I'm totally serious this time. Knock this prank shit off, please. Now get out of here, as co-owner, I'm ordering you to take a damn vacation." Seven said though there was clear amusement in her voice. "I'll be in the back going over the books...any other surprises I should be on the lookout for?"

"Not today," Ireland replied mischievously.

Seven just shook her head and took her leave.

Leland pulled her back into his arms. "You are the weirdest woman I have ever met, you know that right?"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

"A very good thing." He kissed her slowly. "Where do you want to go for dinner tonight?"

"I'm game for anything." Ireland shrugged. "What time are you picking me up?"

"Around six good for you?" He asked.

She nodded.

"Perfect," He kissed her again before reluctantly letting her go. "I got to get going, princess."

"Alright, well I'm heading home so if you want to come by earlier you can," She kissed him quickly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: As @NovaleeNation1980 (at wattpad) would say, HOLY UPDATE BATMAN! lol I'm sorry it has been so long since I updated. My health permitting, my stories won't sit so long without being updated again. I know this chapter is short. It's honestly just a filler to get me to a MAJOR plot point. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Author's Note II: The book that Ireland is writing, The Saith of Golau: Story One: The House on Butler's Ledge, is actually a book that I'VE been working on for years. The first two chapters are posted here on Wattpad.
> 
> It was a little after five when Leland arrived at her house. Ireland had been busy organizing her home library, something odd and very O.C.D she did to relax herself and had lost track of time.

It was a little after five when Leland arrived at her house. Ireland had been busy organizing her home library, something odd and very O.C.D she did to relax herself and had lost track of time.

"You know you really need to start locking your front door, princess."

Ireland jumped almost a foot and ended up falling backward into a stack of comic books that she had been arranging by publisher and issue numbers.

"Shit," Leland rushed to her side. "I am so sorry, baby!" He offered her a hand up.

"It's cool," Ireland stood, rubbing her butt. "I'm accident prone anyway." She leaned forward and kissed him.

When she pulled away, Leland took a long look around the room and whistled. "Wow, you've built Dakota's version of heaven in here."

Ireland chuckled nervously. "Yep, this room is definitive proof that I am a mega geek."

"Hey, my son's a geek and he's awesome...and so are you, princess." He began walking around the room to get a better look.

"I really can't wait to meet that kid," Ireland began to get nervous the closer he got to the desk that was set against the window. Why had she left that out?

Leland stopped and turned to her with a smile. Ireland breathed a sigh of relief. "I was thinking when the boys get back from their trip we could all maybe go spend the day at the beach together. What do you think?"

"I'd love that, babe." She nodded and smiled. She was being one hundred percent honest.

Her breath caught when he turned and continued walking towards her desk. She watched as he came to stand directly behind it. Crap, he had seen it. A small smile formed on his face.

"The Saith of Golau: Story One: The House on Butler's Ledge," He read the cover of her manuscript. The one she had been working on for years. "By Ireland Kinnly...you write princess?"

Ireland blushed a deep scarlet. "Yeah, a little." She replied meekly.

"That's really cool," Leland smiled. "Can I read it sometime?"

"Sure," Ireland was still blushing. "Once I finish it," IF she ever finished it.

He walked back to her and took her into his arms. "Seeing as I've embarrassed you enough for one day, how about we go and grab some dinner?"

Thankful for the out, Ireland readily agreed.


	10. Chapter 10

The couple had dinner at a beach front café before retiring back to Ireland's house for the night. Ireland loved having someone to go to bed with at night even if all they did was sleep.

The next morning they had risen late after Seven had already left for the store. They had a light breakfast before agreeing to jointly run a few errands that they'd both been putting off. Leland had to pick up new baseball uniforms for his boys and Ireland had to stop by the Post Office and mail her RSVP for her friend Victory's wedding that was only three weeks away and would be held at the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, North Carolina.

They had finished their errands and were sitting on the beach enjoying a couple of iced coffees when Leland's phone went off. He checked his messages and cursed under his breath.

"Baby, I got a file that my dad needs in my hummer. Do you mind if they stop by and pick it up?"

Ireland hadn't been expecting to meet the parents so soon but she went with it. "Doesn't bother me,"

She walked with him to the parking lot and sat with him on the bed of his hummer to wait. As they sat there, Ireland again thought of Victory's wedding and was curious. "Do you think you could extend your vacation by another two weeks?"

Leland whistled. "Take a whole month off? I've never done that."

She understood how he felt. She never had either.

"Well, my friend is getting married in North Carolina in a few weeks and a few days after that my dad's announcing his run in D.C." She explained. "I want you and the boys to come with me. It would be a great way for me to get to know your kids and you can meet my parents and friends." Was it too soon to be asking this of him? She wasn't sure.

Leland smiled and nodded as a black SUV pulled into the lot. "I'd love to go. I'll figure out a way to make it happen."

When the SUV pulled to a stop, out stepped Dog and Beth Chapman.

Leland hopped off the bed of the hummer and went to retrieve the file from the glove compartment as Beth approached and held out a heavily manicured hand.

"Beth," She introduced herself. "And this is Dog," She jerked her head in her husband's direction. "You must be Ireland."

"Yes, ma'am," Ireland nodded nervously.

"Big Daddy and I are big supporters of your father. He helped to stop a law to federally regulate bounty hunters last year."

He had? Thank you, daddy!

"Will he be running for president?" Dog joined the conversation.

"We actually needed to talk to you about that," Leland walked over and handed the file to Beth. "Mr. Kinnly is going to announce that he's running for president and Ireland wants me and the boys there. Would you mind if I took the full month off?"

"Of course, son. That's witnessing history." Dog agreed at once but Beth had to consider it for a moment.

"I guess we can get Sonny to cover for you for a few extra weeks." She gave in.

Once they left, Leland pulled her into his arms and kissed her thoroughly. "I'm impressed." He said when he pulled away. "Not one catty comment out of Beth. She must love you as much as I do," He kissed her temple.

Ireland went rigid in his arms. Had he really just said that?

"What did you just say?" She asked for clarification.

Leland grabbed her chin and made her look into his eyes before he spoke. "I love you, Ireland." He told her right before he stole her lips in a passion filled kiss that took her breath away.


	11. Chapter 11

Ireland’s bliss over her and Leland’s seaside declarations was short lived. The moment Leland pulled his Hummer into the driveway of her home, Seven was running out to meet them.  
“Don’t you answer your damn phone?!” She yelled as they got out.  
Ireland pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. It wouldn’t turn on. “It’s dead. What’s the matter?”  
“Your dad was shot while giving a speech in Forks.” Seven was damn near hysterical.  
“What?” Her legs gave out underneath her and Leland had to catch her or she would have hit the cement of the driveway.  
“He was hit in the shoulder. Your mom says he will be fine but his bodyguard was shot and killed.”  
Once she knew that her father was alive her shock quickly gave way to anger. “What the fuck?! Did Edward snap and climb a god damned clock tower?! This isn’t 19-fucking-68!” In times of stress, she always hid behind her sarcasm.  
“Calm down, princess.” Leland rubbed her shoulders.  
“They don’t know who did it,” Seven delivered even worse news. “All they have is security footage. The guy got away.”  
“Fuck!” Ireland cursed.  
“I’ll be back,” Leland walked away and pulled out his cell phone.  
Ireland borrowed Seven’s cell phone and called her mom to check up on her father. He had only suffered a flesh wound but Elliot Parker, her father’s loyal bodyguard of fifteen years had been struck in the heart and killed.  
She was just about to call the airport to book a flight home when Leland reappeared at her side.  
“Booked us on the next flight leaving KOA for Washington,” He informed her. “  
Leaves at eight in the morning.”  
She had never been more grateful for Leland as she leaned into his side as he led her into the house and to her bedroom. He sat her on the edge of the bed and helped her slip off her flip flops.  
“You’re coming home with me?” She finally spoke.  
Leland crouched down in front of her and cupped her cheek in his hand. “You really think I’d let you go through this alone?”  
Jeremy would have.  
“I’m not Jeremy,” Okay, that was kind of freaky. “My whole family’s flying out tomorrow.”  
That floored her.  
“Why?” She asked.  
“The security footage of the shooter has already been released to the media. They’re joining the hunt. Duane Lee’s already making plans to fly out with the boys.” He explained as he sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her.  
“Why?” She asked again. She couldn’t wrap her head around why the Chapman family was doing this for her and her family.  
Leland scooted up the bed to lean against the headboard and pulled Ireland to rest between his legs with her back to his chest.  
“I told you before that I was looking for a woman who was willing to join my family.” He kissed her temple. “You hurt one of ours and you have the whole Chapman family on your ass…and I have made it clear – you are one of us.”  
Ireland didn’t respond verbally, she just cuddled further into his chest.


	12. Chapter 12

There wasn't much sleep to be had that night and it had nothing to do with the early hour of their flight. Every time Ireland closed her eyes she was assaulted with images of the muzzle fire of a gun and her father falling, lifeless and bloody behind a podium in some nameless town on the campaign trail.

By the time the alarm went off, Ireland had been awake and staring at it for over an hour.

She was functioning on auto pilot that morning and not always with the best results. She poured half a cup of coffee a cup of coffee before she realized, with Seven's assistance, that she was pouring the hot liquid into a vase of lilies and not her Superman mug. When her mother called to check on the details of her and Leland's flight, she had initially attempted to answer the television remote.

On their way to the airport, Leland stopped off at a gas station and purchased a couple 5-Hour Energy shots. By the time they reached KOA, Ireland was in that weird I'm-wide-awake-but-still-totally-exhausted state that you could only achieve with the unnatural and addictive chemicals of energy drinks.

They checked their bags and went through the long and arduous task that was the TSA security check. When they arrived at the gate their plane would depart from Ireland was surprised to find Dog and Beth there waiting. She knew that the entire family was flying out that day but she hadn't expected any of them to be on the first flight out.

Beth rushed and hugged her the moment she saw her. In her wide awake/half asleep state, it felt like being hugged by a small earthquake.

"Release the poor girl, Bethy," Dog chuckled.

"How are you holding up, sista?" Beth pulled back to look at her face. "You haven't slept," She tisked.

"Nightmares," Ireland admitted and she saw Leland shoot her a look, silently asking why she hadn't told him. She honestly hadn't even thought about it. Why deny sleep to her boyfriend just because she had a few bad dreams? "I'll be fine. I'm sure once the shock of what happened wears off I'll be right as rain."

"We're going to get the son of a bitch who did this...that's a promise." Dog assured her. It was obvious where Leland had gotten his mouth from. Like father, like son.

"Hey, Dad, Beth, can you watch our stuff while we go and grab some coffee?" Leland stepped up and saved her from the bulldozer of comfort and support that was Dog and Beth Chapman.

"Thank you," Ireland turned to Leland once they were out of earshot and headed towards Starbucks. "Your parents are great, don't get me wrong but they..."

"Kinda beat you over the head with their support?" He finished for her as they stood in a line that was ten people deep to purchase overpriced coffee that never tasted as good as it sounded on the menu.

"Yeah," Ireland breathed a sigh of relief that he understood how she felt. "I'm Irish Catholic...we're the suffer in silence, keep our emotions close type of people." She tried to explain her slightly socially backward views on overt displays of emotion.

"Trust me, I know." Leland slipped his arm around her waist. He was completely serious but there was no hint in his tone that this trait of hers bothered him in the least. "Why didn't you wake me and tell me you were having nightmares last night?"

Ireland leaned further into his side. "Why? No point in two of us losing sleep over a few stupid bad dreams." She couldn't for the life of her understand what the big deal was about keeping her dreams to herself. When she was a child her mother had taught her that to conquer a bad dream you woke up, realized that it wasn't real and couldn't hurt you and you moved on – whether back to sleep or on with your day.

"So I can hold you and make you feel safe so you can rest," Leland answered smoothly. "I'm your man – it's my job to keep the monsters at bay." He gave her a squeeze as they moved up to second in line.

Ireland had never even considered that option. Comfort from nightmares was something that had been denied to her since she was a small child. To have someone willingly offer threw her for a loop.

She leaned up and stole a quick kiss as it finally arrived at their turn to order. "I'll wake you next time, I promise."

He kissed her forehead. "Good girl,"


	13. Chapter 13

They arrived in Forks at five that evening and headed straight for the hospital. Well, Ireland and Leland did. Dog and Beth took their luggage and checked everyone into the town's only inn.

As they waited for the elevator that would take them to her father's room on the fifth floor, Ireland nervously played with her hair.

Noticing, Leland pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong, princess?"

"I'm scared to see my dad in the hospital. What if it makes my nightmares worse?"

The elevator opened and he gently pulled her inside. Once the doors were closed he kissed her forehead.

"Your dad is fine," He assured her. "They only kept him overnight for observation. And don't worry about nightmares, baby. You have me to protect you at night and I ain't going anywhere."

Their conversation ended when the doors opened.

The entire floor had been closed for her father's use and aids and advisors littered the hallway. The nurse's station looked like it had been turned into a mini campaign command center...and the actual nurse's none too pleased.

Her father's secretary, Mrs. Kennedy noticed her and was kind enough to direct her and Leland to her father's room through the mayhem.

The moment she laid eyes on her father, Ireland immediately relaxed. He really looked as though nothing had happened. He was seated in the standard hospital issued reclining chair wearing a pair of his favorite monogrammed pajamas and a robe. He was barking orders into his cell phone while her mother sat in a chair in the corner reading her Bible and fingering her rosary.

"I don't care about the red tape," Her father snapped at whoever was on the other end of the line. "Elliot was a Gulf War veteran and a damn good man...I want him buried at Arlington!"

When her father noticed them standing in the doorway, he quickly ended his call.

"Hey there, Sweet Adelaide," He used his nickname for her. Adelaide was her middle name and Sweet Adelaide was her favorite old Irish folk song.

She leaned down and hugged him.

"Was that about Elliot?" She asked.

She had always been fond of her father's bodyguard. He had always treated her like a little sister. When things were quiet around her parents home he would dazzle her with his surprising culinary skills or veg out with her on the couch and watch movies. It had been Elliot who had introduced her to her favorite movie...The Breakfast Club. She had even had a small crush on him as a teenager. She would daydream that she was Claire Standish and he was John Bender. It was hard to believe that he was gone.

Her father nodded sadly. "Yeah, you be sure and write a nice letter to his mother,"

"I will," Ireland assured him as she leaned down and placed a kiss on her mother's cheek.

She didn't even get a chance to introduce Leland before a group of advisors flooded the room with some kind of emergency and they were hustled out of the room.

Ireland let out a forced laugh. She knew her family wasn't like other families and she was embarrassed by her family's behavior. She knew how close Leland was with his own family. What must he think of hers? Her mother hadn't even spoken a word to them before politics became more important than the Kinnly family reunion.

Leland leaned his back against the hallway wall and pulled her flush against his chest. "You don't have to be embarrassed, princess," He kissed her forehead. "I'm in love with you, not your family."

Ireland couldn't help but laugh and she leaned up for a kiss. She was in Forks, Washington and she had a boyfriend who could read her mind. The situation was tailor-made for a God awful Stephanie Meyers novel. Her man was even built like an Adonis that had been carved out of marble.

"I love you, too," She spoke against his lips.

"Well, ain't you a sight for sore eyes, hon,"

She knew that voice. She really wished that she didn't but she did. Pulling away from Leland she came face to face with Jeremy Jackson...and not the cute kid from Baywatch who had turned into a pretty hot adult. This Jeremy Jackson was tall and lanky and had an accent that made stray cats want to commit suicide.


	14. Chapter 14

"Just kill me now," Ireland mumbled to herself before pulling away from Leland and turning to face her ex.

"Jeremy, what are you doing here?" She wasn't rude but her tone certainly wasn't warm and inviting.

"I was in Seattle on business and I heard what happened," He shrugged. "Thought I would swing by and check on your pops,"

Oh, how sweet...NOT! Her father couldn't stand Jeremy and he knew it. He was up to something and she wasn't sure she wanted to know what it was.

She turned to look at Leland. "Jeremy, this is my boyfriend, Leland," She made introductions.

Jeremy held out his hand.

Leland shook the offered hand but he didn't bother to stop leaning against the wall. It was like he was trying to silently tell the taller man that he wasn't concerned by him; that he didn't matter.

"Nice to meet you, brah" There was not an ounce of sincerity in Leland's tone. "Ireland's told me a lot about you." She was certain there was a warning to back off hidden in that icy comment.

Jeremy simply smirked at him in reply before turning a wolfish grin on her.

"Do you think you and I could get together and catch up before I leave town tomorrow night?"

She couldn't believe that he was arrogant, not to mention stupid, enough to ask her out with her boyfriend standing right beside her.

She quickly shook her head. "No, we're," She stressed the word. "Only here for my father and we are picking up Leland's boys at the airport tomorrow. We kind of just want to spend time as a family."

She wondered if Leland had noticed her Freudian slip because she sure had.

Jeremy nodded. "Well, you know my number if you change your mind. I'm going to go and say hi to your pops,"

Once he was out of sight she heard Leland mutter under his breath, "Oh, me and that redneck prick are not going to get along,"

Ireland couldn't help herself. She laughed.

She felt him come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist.

"Family, huh?" He nuzzled her neck.

She went a bit tense in his arms.

"I was just trying to make him go away," She offered as an excuse.

"I really liked the sound of it, princess," He lightly kissed the shell of her ear.


	15. Chapter 15

 

After leaving the hospital, Ireland and Leland stopped in at the  _Forks Coffee Shop_  for a bite to eat before finally arriving at their hotel.

Beth had taken care of checking them in and having their luggage delivered. All they had had to do was pick up their room key. Ireland was beyond exhausted and very thankful for this.

She and Leland had shared a shower before cuddling up in bed together.

"I was thinking," She said as she lay on his chest. "Since the boys trip is getting cut short, why don't we take them to the reservation at Le Push? I promise there aren't really any whiny, lovesick werewolves,"

Leland laughed. "I'm sure they would love that," She stroked her back. "So, are we going to talk about that family comment you made?"

She tensed up. She thought they had already talked about it.

"I told you I was just trying to make Jeremy go away,"

He held her tighter. "And I told you that I really liked the idea of having a family with you. Just wanted to know if I needed to give you a ring..."

Her heart nearly stopped.

"You're supposed to ask me, I'm not supposed to tell you when," She decided to play it off as a joke.

Leland gently pushed her off of him and got out of bed. He went and dug around in his duffel bag and came back to the bed with something hidden behind his back.

She raised an eyebrow at him in question.

"I was going to wait until we were in North Carolina with the boys but since we're on the topic," He pulled his hand from behind his back to reveal a black diamond engagement ring. "Will you marry me, princess?"

Was he insane? They had just gotten together and she hadn't even met his kids yet. They hadn't even had sex yet!

Her nervous breakdown was interrupted by a knock on the door of their room.

She left Leland hanging and got out of bed and walked to the door. Looking through the peephole she found that there was no one outside. Opening the door she found a manilla envelope laying on the doorstep.

Picking it up, she closed the door and opened the parcel. She found an enlarged photograph of a sleeping baby girl who couldn't be any older than three or four months.

Flipping it over, the words she found scribbled on the back made her blood run cold.

***Meet your boyfriend's daughter, Leiah. She sits, abandoned in a Kona children's home. Some man you've got.

-A Concerned Friend***

"Is whatever's in that envelope more important than what I just asked you, baby?" Leland laughed nervously from the bed, ring still in hand.

"Yes, it is," She threw the picture in his face. "And you have a lot of fucking explaining to do Leland Chapman!"


	16. Chapter 16

She watched as Leland stared at the picture in genuine shock and wondered if her anger was misplaced.

His hand tightened on the photograph until it started to crumble in on itself. "Ireland, I haven't exactly been a saint but I swear to you that no woman came to me and told me that she was pregnant," His voice was raw and honest. "You know how much I love my kids. You know what family means to me. You have to know that I'd never allow this. You know me, baby,"

She did know him. He was being truthful. That didn't change that fact that there was a little girl sitting in an orphanage that may very well be his daughter. It didn't change the fact that he had just asked her to marry him and a third child had now been added to the mix. She wasn't sure she could handle this.

Leland got out of bed and walked to stand in front of her. The engagement ring lay forgotten on the bed.

He grabbed her head in his hands, burying his fingers in her hair. "Ireland, I love you. I would never lie to you and I'd never abandon my child. If she's mine, you know I'll bring her home."

"I know," She bit her lip and tears welled up in her eyes.

He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest. "What's wrong, princess? You have to talk to me."

She pulled back to look at him. "I guess, because of the way things have been going for us, that I kinda hoped that I'd be the mother of your next baby," She felt guilty as soon as the words left her mouth.

His eyes softened and he reached out and interlocked their fingers.

"You can be the mother of all of my babies...I've already told you that," He reminded her of the messages they had exchanged when they had been talking via e-mail. "Dakota, Cobie, and if Leiah is mine, her too. I'd ONLY want you to be their mother...and baby, we can have as many more babies as you want – and we can start trying whenever you want,"

The tears that she had been trying to keep at bay finally began to fall.

Leland reached out and wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs.

"You know Jeremy is the one who left the picture and he will probably keep trying to break up our family, right?" She pointed out what was glaringly obvious to her from the moment she saw the handwriting on the back of the photograph.

"I know. I can handle the redneck prick," He assured her. "Did you just say our family?" He asked with a hopeful smile.

She nodded shyly. "Can I have my ring, please?"

She had never seen him move so fast as he retrieved the diamond ring off of the bed and returned to her side.

He dropped down to one knee and took her left hand in his.

"Ireland Kinnly, I promise to love and care for you as my soul mate and as the mother of my children for the rest of my life," He promised her as he slid the ring on her finger.

She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him to his feet so she could kiss him.

She pulled away and rested her head against his shoulder. "Promise me that first thing in the morning you will call Hawaii. It Leiah's your daughter, I want her out of that home as soon as possible,"

"I'll call before we got pick up the boys," He kissed her forehead. "And you meant to say if Leiah's our daughter,"

"My bad," She leaned up for a kiss.

The kiss soon turned heated as they both got carried away.

When Leland pulled away to rain kissed down her neck they were both panting from lack of oxygen.

Heat was pooling between her legs and she could feel Leland's arousal pressing proudly into her stomach.

At this point, her virginity was hanging by a thread.

"I have to be inside you, princess," He whispered in her ear. "Please, tell me I can have you tonight, Mrs. Chapman," He lightly sucked on her earlobe.

And the thread broke.


	17. Chapter 17

Author's Note: The Jeremy Jackson depicted in this story is based on a real person...but the REAL Jeremy is nothing like his character. The real Jeremy is a sweet, loyal person who has yet to kick my ass for this story even though I'm sure he has wanted to...any girl would be lucky to have him :) If you read Eden's Crush, Jeremy's real personality is revealed in the form of Leland's personality...and any woman in her right mind would kill to be his girl. I was once and while I ultimately went with a more Lex Luthor kind of guy in real life (read Kings), there is something to be said about Jeremy.

 

The next morning before they had even gone to the breakfast, Leland placed a call to Child Welfare Services in Kona, Hawaii. He was frustrated to discover that he would have to make his inquiry in person and that no one would be available to help him until Monday morning.

The couple decided that since it was Saturday to pick up the boys from the small airport in nearby Port Angeles and spend the day with them at the Le Push reservation so she could get to know her future step-sons. They would visit with her father again the next morning before flying home to Hawaii.

The rest of the Chapman family would be staying in town. That morning at breakfast, Ireland had been pleasantly surprised to learn that there was a lead on her father's shooter.

"Yeah," Beth nodded, handing her a photograph over the basket of toast on the table. "The shooter hid in plain sight at your dad's rally,"

"He was able to walk right up to your father, shoot twice, and get away in the ensuing panic," Dog finished for his wife.

Ireland examined the photograph. It was a grainy capture from a security camera but she could clearly make out the image of a tall man in a blue sweatshirt with his hood pulled up and a gun in hand taking aim at her father. In the photograph, Elliot was already on the ground lying in a pool of his own blood.

She shuddered and looked to where Leland was sitting at her side. He had a thoughtful expression on his face.

"This guy sounds cool and collected – like he knows exactly what he's doing and has a plan," Ireland could almost see the gears in his head turning. "He sounds like a professional but if he is that begs the question..."

"What did he miss? Why is the Senator still alive?" Dog finished for him.

The politician's daughter in her came out of hibernation and Ireland was struck by a sudden thought that probably hadn't even occurred to Leland or Dog. They hadn't spent their whole lives on the dirty battleground of politics.

"What if the shooter didn't miss? What if he wasn't trying to kill my dad at all?" She threw out there. "My dad's about to announce his bid for the presidency. What if someone doesn't want him to?"

"You mean you think someone shot your father and killed his bodyguard to scare him out of the race before he even enters?" Beth caught on to what she was saying and looked downright appalled that something like that could even happen.

Ireland nodded, "If you think worse things haven't been done in the name of politics...you're kidding yourself,"

Hell, JFK had won the vote in Chicago because his father had gotten into bed with the mafia and there were more than a few rumors that Kennedy money had bought the vote in West Virginia. Politics was a dirty, sordid game and wasn't for the faint of heart.

Ireland had always felt a sort of thrill living in a political family. She had always loved the excitement of being on the campaign trail but now she wasn't so sure anymore.

"So, we start looking into your father's opponents," Dog nodded, "And we'll stay in town a few days and see if we can 't find anything else out about the shooter,"

Before Beth could assign Leland anything to do, he broke the news about Leiah and their engagement. He told her that they would be leaving the following day for home.

"Wow," Was all Dog could say.

Beth was a little more articulate as she nodded and said, "We completely understand." She assured. "You two go take care of things on the home front and we'll hold down the fort here...and congratulations!"

As she and Leland were in the parking lot after breakfast getting ready to head out to pick up Duane Lee and the boys they again ran into Jeremy.

Her ex didn't do a good job at hiding his surprise at seeing them together.

"Mornin'," He gave them a tight, false smile. "Didn't expect to see you folks this early,"

No, he clearly didn't expect to the two of them together at all.

Leland slipped his arm possessively around her waist, "Wanted to get an early start. We're picking up our boys at the airport so we can spend the day together before we leave tomorrow,"

Leland was baiting her ex and she knew it.

"Oh," Jeremy smirked, "You and your boys are taking off?"

Ireland didn't like the way that Jeremy tried to downplay Leland's sons in her life...even if she hadn't met them, they were now her family. She decided to have a little fun and joined the conversation.

"No," She made sure her voice was chipper and her smile perky. "We found out last night that we might have a baby daughter that we didn't know about. We want to get home to see her as soon as we can,"

Jeremy's eyes bugged out a little and Leland gave her waist a tight squeeze.

"I'm so glad we found out," She could hear the amusement in in her fiance's voice. "I think knowing that we have another kid out there is what convinced Ireland to agree to marry me,"

"I'm so thankful to whoever left that envelope last night," She held up her left ringer finger for Jeremy to see.

That did it. Jeremy quickly made an excuse and hurried away. His plan had failed amazingly and he knew it. He was beaten out by a better man.

Once he was out of sight, Ireland and Leland turned to each other...and promptly burst out laughing.


	18. Chapter Eighteen: Gift Shop

Ireland was nervous about meeting Dakota and Cobie right up until she and Leland had arrived at the small airport in Port Angeles to pick them up.

Dakota was pleased to meet the “book lady” his dad was always talking about. Cobie was sold on her the moment he discovered she carried Warheads candy in her purse.

As for Leland's older brother, Duane Lee? He was unique, to say the least.

“You must have lost a bet...that's the only reason why a woman as pretty as you would be with my baby brother,” Had been his first hilarious words to her.

They dropped Duane Lee off back at the inn – where the Chapman family had taken over the conference room – before continuing on to the reservation at Le Push.

Their first stop was a small roadside gift shop run by a member of the local (not werewolves) Quileute tribe. It had been Ireland's idea so the boys could each pick up a souvenir.

“Ireland, what's this?” Cobie came up to her holding what looked like a wooden statue of a Native American woman. “It makes noise,”

Ireland took the statue that wasn't really a statue at all from the little boy. Sure enough, it was hollow and dried beans or seeds have been placed inside to cause it to sound like falling rain when you shook it.

“This is a medicine man's rattle,” She explained patiently. “He would use this to call upon nature and the spirits during rituals or when people were sick,”

“Cool!” Cobie's eyes lit up. “I'm getting this!”

At that moment they were joined by Leland and Dakota.

“You two ready?” Leland asked, stuffing his hands in the pockets of his cargo pants. “You find anything you want Cobie?”

“This,” Cobie shook the rattle. “Ireland said medicine men used to use them.”

“Did you find anything, Dakota?” Ireland asked the older boy.

“Yeah,” Dakota showed her a big book of Native American legends.

Yep, the kid was a little bookworm and Ireland thought he was awesome.

“Oh, Leland, I grabbed these,” She showed him the packages of plastic ponchos she had grabbed off of the shelf by the front door. “I figured a bunch of Hawaiians like us could use them out in that,” She nodded towards the store window.

Outside, a slow, steady, drizzle of rain – the kind Washington state was so famous for – was falling.

“Good idea,” Leland nodded and smiled as he gathered up everyone's items and set them on the checkout counter. He sent Ireland a hard glare of refusal when she attempted to hand him her credit card.

“You act like such a mom,” Dakota rolled his eyes at the rain gear.

The boy was just joking but he would never know how happy his words made her.

As the small family loaded their purchases into their rented SUV and as the two adults laughed as they pulled the ponchos over the children's heads, they had no way of knowing that they were being watched. Watched by a man with a red teardrop tattoo on his hand and evil in his heart.


	19. Chapter 19

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “UH...U KNO LE PUSH ISN'T REAL RITE?! UR FACTS SUX!” That is an actual message that showed up in my in-box on Wattpad. I can't believe I am having to do this but here we go...Yes, Forks, Washington is a real place. I actually did go to college with a girl who hailed from Forks (yes, Ireland is based on that girl...who really did tell people that she was from Seattle after Twilight came out). Yes, Le Push...also a very real place. The only thing these two places are missing (thank God) are sparkling vampires and werewolves that should really be called shapeshifters. Now, for the love of the tiny little bit of sanity that I possess, USE GOOGLE BEFORE MESSAGING ME DUMB SHIT! And would it kill you to use proper English?
> 
> It has been pointed out to me that I seem to be anti-birth control. Not true. Let me explain myself. I am not a big fan of birth control medication. A close friend in college suffered a stroke from the birth control patch that was briefly on the market (no, she wasn't a smoker) and still can not walk or speak properly ten years later...nor can she have children now that she is old enough to want them. When I was on the birth control pill prior to my marriage, it caused me to gain weight and have violent mood swings. I'm pretty anti-medication whenever possible. I believe there are a lot of things in nature that can help us just as much as poisonous chemicals. Medication should only be used as a last resort. I honestly believe condoms are a lot healthier...if you aren't allergic to latex. As a Catholic in a marriage to a Jewish man....neither one of us believes in using any form of birth control besides watching the calendar. This is an emotional, religious, and medical choice on both of our parts. I would NEVER push my beliefs on others. You do you and I'll do me. My rule is: You support my right to my beliefs and I will be the first one in your corner defending your right to your beliefs...even if I don't agree with them.

The trip to Le Push was soggy and wet but it was still going well. Leland held her hand as they strolled the beach looking ridiculous in the plastic ponchos that were keeping them somewhat dry. Dakota and Cobie ran ahead of them alternating between splashing in tide pools and collecting interesting pieces of driftwood.

While she had been scared at the prospect of instant motherhood, she was now enjoying herself immensely. She really enjoyed being around the boys and couldn't help but hope just a little that Leiah was Leland's. She actually wanted to be the little girl's mom. Just like she wanted to be Dakota and Cobie's mom.

“What are you thinking about, princess?” Leland's voice broke into her thoughts.

She turned and smiled coyly at him. “Us.”

“What about us?” He smiled back and gently squeezed her hand.

“In the car, on the ride here when all Dakota could talk about was that book from the gift shop, I actually imagined passing The Quill onto him one day.” She told him as she came to a stop and turned to face him while still holding his hand. “Is it weird that I'm actually hoping that Leiah's yours – ours?” She corrected quickly.

He stepped forward and cupped her cheek in his hand. “I'm hoping for the same thing,” He admitted. “I want as many babies with you as you are willing to give me. You're fucking boss with the boys. You're going to be an amazing mom.”

It was as he said this that Ireland realized something...something important.

“Leland, we didn't use a condom last night,” She said with slight panic in her tone.

He nodded. “I know,” He told her as he pulled her into his arms. “I don't believe in them...not with my wife. All I ever want is to feel you skin on skin, baby...and you felt fucking amazing wrapped around my cock last night.”

He was speaking quietly but Ireland still felt the need to glance and make sure that the boys weren't in earshot. They weren't. They were a good fifteen feet away taking turns jumping over a small tide pool.

“Such a mommy,” Leland chuckled affectionately when he noticed what she was doing.

“Leland, I'm serious,” She protested. “If Leiah is ours and you've managed to knock me up, we'll have four kids...two of them under the age of two! We aren't married...we don't even live together!” She was freaking the hell out now.

He kissed her to shut her up.

When he pulled away, he kept firmly in his arms as he spoke, “Once we get home, I was hoping to start looking for a place together. We can stay at my place for now – because it's bigger – so we can all be together but we're going to need a bigger place with a growing family.”

“Okay,” She agreed seeing his reasoning but she still hadn't relaxed yet.

“When it comes to the kids, we can handle anything so long as we're together.” He kissed her rain-soaked nose. “Plus, we'll have a lot of help if we need it. You have Seven and babe...have you met my family?”

This actually made her laugh. Ireland highly doubted anyone had ever turned down help from the Chapman family before...mostly because the family wouldn't let them.

“And I plan on marrying you just as soon as you'll let me...but do you want to know a secret?” He smirked mischievously.

“What?” She asked curiously.

He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “I've considered you my wife since the moment you let me put that ring on your finger. To me, when I slid inside you last night, I was consummating our marriage.”

Ireland gasped, right before Leland's lips came down on hers in a bruising kiss.

Thier moment was interrupted by a loud splash and Dakota yelling, “Cobie, you buttmunch! You did that on purpose!”

They broke apart and Leland sighed before giving her one last quick kiss before pulling away from her completely.

“Well, it looks like our fun family outing is over.”


	20. Chapter 20

When the small group arrived back at the car, Ireland and Leland loaded the kids into the backseat and went to get in themselves but Leland stopped short of getting into the driver’s seat.

“What the hell?” He grabbed a rain dampened piece of paper off of the windshield.

After he quickly read it, he turned to Ireland. “Baby, close your door and put on your seatbelt. Boys, make sure your seatbelts are on and duck down.” He ordered as he got in and started the engine.

“Leland, what’s wrong?” Ireland asked as she fastened her seatbelt as instructed before turning to make sure that Dakota and Cobie had followed their father’s directions.

Leland quickly peeled out of the parking lot and didn’t respond verbally. He just passed her the note.

*** Duck. Duck. Goose. You’re it! ***

Almost as soon as she had finished reading, she heard what sounded like a car backfiring but there wasn’t another car in sight. When Leland quickly accelerated and yelled for her and the boys to duck down, she realized that it was gunfire.

Once they were back on the main highway, and safely out of danger, Leland took out his phone and called the police.

After checking on the boys - who were shaken but thankfully unharmed - Ireland took out her own phone and called Beth first, and then her dad to let him know what had happened. She was surprised to discover that they were both together. Apparently, her father was willing to assist the Chapman family’s investigation and Dog and Beth were at her parents’ home in Seattle gathering information that could help them find their father’s shooter.

“Beth told us just to go back to our room and wait for them to get back after we talk to the cops.” She informed Leland as he pulled into the parking lot of the Forks Sherrif’s Office.

Leland nodded as he killed the engine. “Okay, well, the cops are waiting on us. Let me do the talking. While I’m dealing with the cops, call and get us seats on the next available flight back to the islands. I’m not letting you and the kids stay in Washington tonight.”

After dealing with the cops, the airline, and the Chapman family, Leland and Ireland left the boys with Duane Lee in his room and quickly went to pack. Ireland had booked them on a midnight flight out of Seattle.

This time, Ireland noticed the note before her fiance did. It was taped to the door of their room. She looked at Leland but he was looking down at his phone. She quickly grabbed the note and unfolded it.

*** I didn’t miss. I wasn’t aiming. Leave town or next time, you won’t be as lucky. ***

“Leland!” She got his attention and passed him the note before taking out her key and unlocking the door to their room.

“Mother fucker!” Leland growled as they stepped inside and turned on the lights. “This makes me want to stay and hunt this fucking punk down!” He slammed the door and started pacing the room.

“You can’t,” Ireland responded, shaking her head.

“This piece of shit fired a gun at my kids and my wife! I’m not letting him get away with it!” Leland yelled.

Ireland ignored the warm feeling she got when he called her his wife and instead focused on her anger as she shouted back, “He’s not going to! You parents won’t let him! But right now, your family needs you! Our boys need you! Leiah needs you! I fucking need you! Revenge can wait! We come first!”

Her words had the desired effect and Leland was soon in front of her, pulling her into his arms.

“I’m so sorry, baby girl.” He kissed the top of her head. “You’re right.”

“Can we please pack so we can get our kids the hell out of this cursed little town?” She pulled back to look at him pleadingly.

“Of course,” He placed a soft kiss on her lips just as a knock came on the door.


	21. Chapter 21

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got my personal website up and running. On it, you can find all of my stories, plus things you can't find on here. I have a Coming Soon section - where you can learn about my upcoming stories before they are posted and subscribe to them. I've also included music tracks for all of my stories. I use music for inspiration so, I thought it would be cool to share the songs that inspired each story. Hope you all stop by for a visit. Mobile friendly! Link is at the bottom of the chapter.

Assuming that whoever was on the other side of the door was named Chapman, Ireland pulled it open. Their visitor wasn't a member of the family...it was Jeremy.

“What do you want?” She crossed her arms over her chest. She was in no mood to deal with him at that moment.

“I heard what happened to ya'll – Are you alright?” He actually sounded sincerely concerned.

“The boys are a little shaken up but we're fine.” Ireland's attitude faltered a bit.

“Can _we_ help you?” Leland was suddenly at her side and _his_ temper was smoldering along just fine.

“As I told Ireland, I wanted to check up after I heard about what happened in Le Push.” Jeremy held up an envelope that Ireland hadn't noticed him holding before. “I also wanted to give you this...and apologize.”

“Say what now?” Ireland could have fainted in shock.

She didn't even know that Jeremy knew how to say that he was sorry,

“I'd been hopin' to get back together with you when I showed up to see your dad at the hospital. When I saw you two together...I was pissed.” Jeremy explained with a look of shame on his rat-like face. “When I got back to my room, I found that photo of Leiah and a letter explaining who she was. It's all in here.” He handed Leland the envelope. “I think whoever left them for me is the same person who shot at you tonight. I'm sorry, Ireland. I didn't know any of this was gonna happen, hon.”

Ireland was flabbergasted.

First, she was having a hard time wrapping her head around the fact that the psycho taking shots at her family and them finding out about Leiah were connected. She had assumed that Jeremy had found out about Leiah using his considerable hacking skills; that one thing had nothing to do with the other. What the holy hell was going on?

Second, in all the years that she had known him, this was the first time that Jeremy Jackson had ever shown any type of remorse without first getting caught red-handed. Maybe he was finally starting to grow up. It was long overdue.

Before she had a chance to say a word, Leland once again spoke up.

“If you really want to prove that you're sorry, you're going to come with me to meet my dad. You're going to give him this,” Leland held up the envelope. “and you're going to tell him everything. Then you're going to do it all over again for the cops. And, if you want to avoid having a problem with _me_ in the future, you will stay the _fuck_ away from _my_ wife and kids. You got me, brah?”

Ireland sincerely hoped that she never pissed Leland off enough to be on the receiving end of the look he was leveling on her ex. She also wished that they had more time before their flight because...Alpha Leland was Sexy Leland. What she wouldn't give for a few hours alone with him at that moment.

Jeremy gulped and nodded. “I got ya.”

 

[My Website](http://www.badwolf1988.wixsite.com/badwolf1988)


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story and my Shemar Moore fic, Dangerous Eyes, are taking place at the exact same time. Both stories are about to crossover with each other but you don't need to read both if you do not want to. You won't miss anything.

Ireland and Leland were barely back on Hawaiian soil before they dropped the boys off with a very confused Seven – Ireland had a lot of explaining to do later – and hightailed it to the children's services office. There, they were met with even more frustration. Before they were even allowed to speak for anyone, Leland had been forced to fill out a stack of forms two stories high. After that was completed, they were led into the office of a very grumpy middle-aged government employee named Frank. He explained that Leland needed to take a DNA test after which they could see Leiah for all of twenty minutes. That was the only contact allowed prior to the test results coming in.

Taking what they could get, they took the testing slip and directions to the state-funded DNA lab and Leland went for his test. After that, they drove to the group home where Leiah was living. They were met at the door by a friendly old Samoan lady named Hattie. She led them through the building to a private room with a sofa, a table, and chairs, and toys spread all about.

Ireland was pretty sure that she fell in love with Leiah the moment Hattie carried her through the door. From the look on Leland's face as the child was placed in his arms, he was in the same boat.

"Hey there, princess." Leland kissed the top of the baby's head.

Leiah proceeded to beat her tiny little fists against his chest as she kicked her chubby legs. Ireland's heart melted a little bit more as she laughed and rubbed the baby's back. Leiah turned her head and gave her a little smile before bringing her fist up to her mouth to suck on. Ireland badly wished they could take her home with them.

When they were forced to part with the baby after twenty minutes, they both had tears in their eyes as they got in Leland's Hummer and started heading towards Ireland and Seven's house. When they arrived, Seven met them in the entryway with a concerned look on her face.

"Are the boys okay?" Ireland asked as she set her purse on the bamboo entryway table and Leland threw his keys in the bowl.

"Yeah," Seven nodded but she still had that look on her face. "Cobie's taking a nap in your room and Dakota's reading in the library. When was the last time you spoke to Lyric?"

At the mention of her childhood best friend's name, Ireland was suddenly alert. "Last week...why?"

"You need to see something." Seven pulled her iPhone out of the back pocket. After typing in her passcode, she handed her the phone and showed her a news article.

_*** COUNTRY STAR GONE WILD!_

_Country singer, Lyric Monroe, seems to be cutting loose with actor and boy toy, Shemar Moore in Atlanta._

_In photographs leaked to TMZ.com, the singer – who is MUCH younger than her lover – is seen naked and canoodling with an equally in-the-buff Moore while swimming in an Atlanta area pond. In other photographs, the singer is featured, barely clothed, locked in a passionate embrace with the Criminal Minds star._

_We here at the American Republican can't help but point out that Miss Monroe is the childhood best friend of Ireland Kinnly, the only child of rumored Democratic presidential candidate, Senator John Kinnly of Washington._

_If this is the company the Kinnly family keeps, can Sen. Kinnly really be trusted with the highest office in the land? How can we forget the last time a woman named Miss Monroe got too close to a president named John? ***_

Ireland looked to see what time the article was posted. The time beneath the byline let her know that the story had only been live on the website for an hour. Lyric didn't know about that photographs...Ireland was sure of it. If she knew, she would have already called in a mortified panic. She felt horrible because she knew that Lyric was being targeted because of her connection the Kinnly family.

"Baby, you should get ahold of Lyric," Leland advised after reading the article over her shoulder. "She might not know about those pictures."

Ireland's blood was boiling so hot that her anger clouded the part of her brain that did math and she couldn't remember the time difference between Hawaii and Georgia. She settled on sending a text message that she knew would get her friend's attention if she was awake.

_*** 911! IT'S AN EMERGENCY! CALL ME ASAP!!!!! ***_

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	23. Chapter 23

Lyric had called her almost immediately after receiving her text and, as both her and Leland had suspected, she hadn't been aware of the photos...or about Ireland's dad getting shot. Yeah, Ireland had a good chewing out for not calling and telling her best friend about that one. With a promise to call her back the next day, Lyric had ended the call to go and attempt to figure out how the photographs were leaked.

That night they stayed at Ireland's place. With everything going on neither she or Leland had the energy to pack up the boys and move them from one house to the other. Seven had gone to bed...after a two-hour long conversation to fill her in on everything that was going on...at least half of that time was spent trying to convince her friend that she was not, in fact, trying to pull an epic prank on her. Leland had wandered outside to call Duane Lee and get an update on what was going on in Forks. Ireland was putting the boys to bed in sleeping bags on the living room floor.

“Ireland?” Cobie asked as she helped him zip up his sleeping bag.

“Yeah, kiddo?”

“Are you our mom now?” His innocent, childish question made Ireland stop in her tracks.

She had no idea what to do. She knew what Leland had said about her being the boys' mother but she was in no way equipped to have this conversation. Luckily, Leland had chosen the moment Cobie asked his question to re-enter the house.

“How would you boys feel about Ireland being your mom?” He asked as he joined them sitting on the floor.

“Like a forever mom or a mom just until you guys break up?” Dakota sat up in his sleeping bag. “My friend Taylor at school has a lot of those and I'm not interested.”

“A forever mom,” Leland answered for her. “She would even adopt you after me and her get married. That means that if we broke up, which isn't going to happen, by the way, Ireland would still be your mom and would still be in your life.”

“Always,” Ireland managed to spit out in her own way of reassuring Dakota and Cobie. She was having a hard time containing her tears. She thought her role as mother would be in name and emotion only. Hearing that Leland planned to make it legal touched her in a way that nothing ever hard before. What greater gift was there to give another human being other than children? On Leland's part, this was an act of love and trust beyond measure.

Cobie climbed out of his sleeping bag and into her lap. He looked up at her for a moment, like he was studying her; looking for any sign of deception. “Okay,” He spoke after a moment. “You can be my mom.” He reached up and wrapped his little arms around her neck in a hug that she happily returned.

“I do like having you around...” Dakota admitted. “Dad loves you and it seems like you really love him...”

“And us!” Cobie interrupted from where he was now quite happily and comfortably sitting in her lap.

“That's right,” She gave her son (boy, was THAT going to take some getting used to...) a little squeeze. “I love you guys too.”

“Do we get to move in here and have free reign in the library? And am I allowed to help out at the bookstore?” Were Dakota's next concerns which made both Leland and Ireland laugh.

“We're going to look for a bigger house for all of us,” Leland answered the first half of Dakota's first question.

“And you and me can design a whole new family library at the new house,” Ireland answered the second half of the question.

“As for working at the store...as long as Ireland doesn't have a problem with it and you stay on stop of your school work, I don't mind.” Leland shook his head before looking to her to see what she thought.

“Me and Seven could always use an extra pair of hands.” She nodded. “We've actually been looking for someone to do a storytime hour for kids on Saturdays.” No, they hadn't. She had just made the position up but it actually sounded like a good idea when she really thought about it. A kid reading to other kids would inspire a love of the written word and a storytime hour would draw in more kids and their parents to the store.

“Then I'm sold on you being my mom.” Dakota smiled at her. The boy got out of his sleeping bag to give her a shy hug. Ireland hugged him back, poor Cobie squished between them, and shot Leland a warm and loving smile, tears glistening in her eyes.

“Alright, to hell with the sleeping bags.” Leland got to his feet. “Sleepover with Mom and Dad in the big bedroom.” He picked Cobie up off of her lap and playfully threw him over his shoulder.

Ireland knew that having them all together was as much for Leland as it was for the boys after having to leave Leiah at the children's home. There was no doubt in her mind that was the hardest thing her fiance had ever done his life. He needed his family around him in that moment. 

 

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


	24. Salem Sisters Discontinued...Sort Of

So, after almost two months of work, it has proven damn near impossible to correct the timeline in the Salem Sisters and tie all of the stories together. I'll admit it, I bit off more than I could chew with this series.

 

Now, I know I said that I don't abandon stories...and I don't. ALL seven stories will be re-written over the course of this winter and spring. They will come back as single stories and not be so interconnected. Look for them again in the summer/fall of 2018.

 

I'm sorry about this, Meghan and I REALLY tried. The Salem Sisters was taking my time away from my other stories and Meghan was finding herself beta reading chapters of stories that were not being posted.

 

On the upside, expect quicker posts of all my other stories, faster turnaround time for story requests, and starting next week, I'll be posting all of Meghan's excellent beta work that has just been sitting on my computer.

 

If you are disappointed to see these stories taking such a long hiatus, I DO take requests. I know how much Leland Chapman and Shemar Moore fans loved Blame it on Seven and Dangerous Eyes. If you want to see some more of your boys and you have a plot idea in mind, visit my website at www.badwolfrose.com and make a request. The request page is located under the fanfiction tab.

 

Thank you to everyone who has followed this series for the past almost two years. I'm sorry if I let y'all down.

 

 


	25. Author's Note

This story will be taken down in April to make way for the rewritten version. The Salem Sisters Series is dead in the water but I've been working pretty hard to make sure that the stories survive my horrible attempt to write a series.

 

**_[MY WEBSITE](http://www.badwolfrose.com) _ **


End file.
